Five people arrested over kidney-for-iPad affair in China

posted by Victor H. / Apr 06, 2012, 9:14 AM

Five people arrested over kidney-for-iPad affair in China

Last year, we were shocked at the news of a 17-year-old Chinese teenager selling his kidney just to get the iPad 2, and while the price of the second-generation tablet has dropped by now, the value of a kidney has not, and the health of the teen is deteriorating.

At the same time, the Chinese authorities have now arrested and are charging five people over the illegal surgery.

“Defendant He Wei, who was penniless and frustrated over gambling debts, sought to make enormous earnings through illegal kidney trading, according to the agency. He asked Yin Shen to look for donors through online chat rooms and Tang Shimin to lease an operating room from Su Kaizong, the contractor of a local hospital’s urology department, it stated. Song Zhongyu, a surgeon from a provincial hospital in Yunnan province, conducted the kidney transplant.”

One of the arrested, He Wei, gave the boy nearly $3,500, a mere 10% of the overall sum of $35,000 he was paid for that kidney. He was the one that paid all others involved as well.

The terrible idea sprang into the boy’s mind after he learned that it was possible to sell a kidney for money, and unfortunately his blind gadget crave and inexperience resulted in him selling his kidney. He allegedly only told his mother after he started feeling ill, a week or so after the surgery.

source: TechInAsia

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35 Comments

1. Phoneguy007

Posts: 218; Member since: Jun 02, 2011

Wow...Thats just insane!!

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 9:28 AM 12

2. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

Further proof of iDiOcy; a kidney for an iDud with a wi-fi only connection and wi-fi connection problems. Charge them all with iMutilAtion.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 9:30 AM 13

21. abhishek48

Posts: 164; Member since: Feb 19, 2012

This crazy.... its apple marketing which is causing all this... people and kids with no brains consider it matter of pride to hold a Idevice... there is nothing special in stupid apple devices, I went to store compared s**tty 3g small iphone 4s and galaxy note with LTE and huge screen and paid more to get the galaxy note..... APPLE .. STOP MAKING FOOL OF PEOPLE AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW ANY THING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY...

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:42 PM 5

22. smallcolabear

Posts: 82; Member since: Feb 18, 2012

But in turn it is the person's choice to either do something illegal or idiotic in order to own these devices. It is up to them to research the products they buy the information is out there so if they do it because they are so obssessed in order to sell something like a kidney vs an old device in order to get a new device whether it be apple or a samsung then it is there bad decision to do so. Apple did not hold this person down and say "Sell a kidney so you can afford the ipad 2!" Freewill and bad choices are what did it.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:56 PM 1

23. Lucas777

Posts: 2137; Member since: Jan 06, 2011

are u serious? "dont market ur products apple people might actually want them"... and cool thing that u like ur note more than the iphone-- many do and many dont.. doesnt mean people who dont are stupid dare i say u fell to the "highly successful" note ads? ironic?

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 1:23 PM 3

31. thelegend6657 unregistered

i am a iFan and thats too much for me . A tablet (ipad 2 will go outdated after a few years ) YOur kidney you need it thats why god give you 2 of it

posted on Apr 07, 2012, 8:51 AM 0

3. darktranquillity

Posts: 285; Member since: Feb 28, 2012

Silent:-|

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 9:31 AM 1

4. Giggity

Posts: 147; Member since: Nov 17, 2011

So how many people do you think are heading to the DPS office to retract their organs donation agreement, after reading this article? I know I won't!

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 9:35 AM 7

5. RaKithAPeiRiZ

Posts: 1488; Member since: Dec 29, 2011

stupidity ....

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 9:45 AM 5

6. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

I've wondered if this kid did something equally nutty to get the new ipad. anyways glad to see something done to these criminals

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 10:03 AM 10

32. thelegend6657 unregistered

HE might sell his retina just to have a look at that retina display as he got 2 eyes . the reason he sell his kidney is because it has 2 right ? No matter what device he bought , android or ios its a bad idea to sell of your kidney .

posted on Apr 07, 2012, 8:54 AM 0

33. thelegend6657 unregistered

Human exploitation is common in China . BTW if i sell my kidney it would be so that i can start a business or invest in bonds/gold/stocks when i get rich i buy another kidney back not for a stupid tablet

posted on Apr 07, 2012, 8:57 AM 0

7. sscott3548

Posts: 16; Member since: Apr 04, 2012

hahaha love it! is anyone interested in my kidney? i really want the galaxy nexus lol ;)

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 10:09 AM 4

8. jmoita2

Posts: 930; Member since: Dec 23, 2011

it's in cases like this that I wholeheartedly agree with the Chinese policy of taking such scumbags to the nearest wall and shooting them. Poor kid.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 10:10 AM 5

9. GuiltyBystander

Posts: 199; Member since: Mar 05, 2012

Stupid kid.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 10:17 AM 6

29. Mandroid

Posts: 209; Member since: Feb 22, 2012

Multiple thumbs down for that? Never change, iDiots.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 7:57 PM 7

10. JeffdaBeat unregistered

You mean I could have just sold a kidney for a new iPad? Let me get on eBay right now...

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 10:57 AM 3

17. LoneShaolin

Posts: 307; Member since: Jan 14, 2012

You could get two!!!!

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:12 PM 3

30. protozeloz

Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010

well your kidney might cost 35K so i don't know if trading for 600-800 bux may not be a good deal I would easy buy 5 generations wroth of iPads :P

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 10:12 PM 0

11. taco50

Posts: 5506; Member since: Oct 08, 2009

I'm glad the people were arrested

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 11:02 AM 5

12. chengz

Posts: 2; Member since: Apr 06, 2012

thats good news...

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 11:10 AM 1

13. andro.

Posts: 1999; Member since: Sep 16, 2011

Nothing surprises me with apple news anymore,this is terrible

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:00 PM 6

15. taco50

Posts: 5506; Member since: Oct 08, 2009

This has nothing to do with Apple. Get a life.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:03 PM 6

18. andro.

Posts: 1999; Member since: Sep 16, 2011

Em the title and whole article is about ifans and ipads,so yes its news about apple or its products

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:23 PM 5

19. taco50

Posts: 5506; Member since: Oct 08, 2009

You really need to find something better to do than troll Apple all day.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:28 PM 2

20. andro.

Posts: 1999; Member since: Sep 16, 2011

Thanks for the thumbs down,make sure to log in under your other alias and thumbs down again

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 12:40 PM 4

25. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

that bit of trolling advice brought to you by the boards biggest troll.. taco. silliness.

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 1:57 PM 3

26. andro.

Posts: 1999; Member since: Sep 16, 2011

I wonder if i hadnt mentioned him logging in under other aliases would i have ended up with 5-6 thumbs down for that comment?!

posted on Apr 06, 2012, 2:28 PM 2

14. Republican

Posts: 99; Member since: Apr 05, 2012

It's his Free Market right to sell whatever part of his body he so chooses. If there is a market for it,why not??? It's not the government's place to say anything.